1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a stapling apparatus, and more particularly, the invention relates to a stapling apparatus with a movable stapler unit for a booklet maker.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Automated saddle stitch booklet makers are currently used to bind many sheets of duplex printed material into a finished booklet. The currently known booklet making machines perform operations such as stapling, folding, and booklet trimming. Generally these booklet making machines perform these functions on all sheets in a booklet, simultaneously requiring high forces, powerful motors, and dangerous cutting devices. Such booklet making machines are expensive, often exceeding the cost of desktop or office printers. As such, known booklet making machines are not well suited for use in low cost desktop booklet making.
Accordingly, there is a need for electronic desktop publishing machines for forming booklets which are compact, low cost, high quality and suitable for use with desktop laser and ink jet printers.
Most automated booklet makers use multiple stapling units placed at fixed positions to staple the booklet simultaneously. Typically, booklet makers include two or three complete staple units. These staple units may be movable for creation of different size booklets. However, these staple units are typically movable only by manual means and may be repositioned manually to accommodate a different size booklet. This greatly limits the flexibility of these booklet makers to make booklets of different sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,187 describes a low cost on-line saddle stapler accessory for preparing booklets in which a single staple unit is used. With this stapler, a set of sheets is compiled on a roof shaped tray having a fixed stapler and passive anvil. The stapler is actuated to engage the passive clinch anvil of the stapler to form the first of two staples. The stack of sheets is then moved to a second position and the stapler is again actuated to engage the passive clinch anvil making the second staple. This solution provides a less expensive booklet maker using only a single stapler instead of multiple staplers. However, this apparatus is unnecessarily large due to the need to slide the entire booklet sideways during stapling to form the second staple.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an automated saddle stitch booklet maker having a movable staple head unit and multiple fixed clinch mechanisms.
The present invention relates to a stapling apparatus for a booklet maker having a single movable stapler head cooperating with a plurality of active clinch units.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a stapling apparatus includes a sheet receiving saddle having a spine for receiving sheets to be stapled into a booklet, a single stapler head movable in a direction parallel to the spine of the sheet receiving apparatus, and a plurality of active clinch units positioned along the spine of the sheet receiving saddle.
In accordance with an additional aspect of the present invention, a stapling apparatus includes a sheet receiving member for receiving sheets to be stapled into a booklet, a plurality of active clinch units positioned substantially in a line on the sheet receiving member, and a movable stapler head arranged to deliver a staple at each of the plurality of active clinch units.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a method of stapling a booklet includes the steps of arranging a plurality of sheets on a sheet receiving apparatus, wherein the sheet receiving apparatus includes a plurality of active clinch units, and moving a stapler head along the sheet receiving apparatus to staple the sheets at the multiple active clinch units.
The present invention provides advantages of a more compact and less expensive stapling apparatus for use in a desktop booklet making apparatus.